As a former barista, I gave better service to people who were 1) regular customers, and 2) tipped regularly. If those people stayed around until the end of the night working on their projects, they got a LOT of freebies - tea coolers, pastries, anything we were going to throw out anyway.

I drop the change (usually a quarter or so) in the tip jar because I walk to the coffee shop from work and don't want to carry coin-change in the pocket of scrubs. Dunno why, but it gets on my nerves. Otherwise, tipping at counters is stupid - they do the same thing the McDonald's drive through guy does so why give them a bonus like you would a waiter who spent the entire meal keeping your drink filled and the like?

I've worked as a barista in the mornings to help ends meet back in college.

They at least paid minimum wage, because after the short shifts they had, the 75 cents in the tip cup wasn't going to make up the difference if they paid the lower waitstaff wage. Didn't help I was manning a location somewhat out of the way in the performing arts center.

I tip table waitstaff 20 percent unless they really deserve less and I can't even remember the last time that happened.

But I don't tip counter staff.

I get takeout from a family-owned dinette for lunch once a week and I don't tip there. The owners employ their family members.

Two months ago, they raised prices and I was fine with that.

But I'm not tipping them for making a BLT, handing it to me and charging me $4.50.

Rule of thumb for that is counter staff gets tipped if they are also serving tables- like in a diner. In other words since they are preparing your order instead of tending to their tables/stools, they should get something.

I tip table waitstaff 20 percent unless they really deserve less and I can't even remember the last time that happened.

But I don't tip counter staff.

I get takeout from a family-owned dinette for lunch once a week and I don't tip there. The owners employ their family members.

Two months ago, they raised prices and I was fine with that.

But I'm not tipping them for making a BLT, handing it to me and charging me $4.50.

Rule of thumb for that is counter staff gets tipped if they are also serving tables- like in a diner. In other words since they are preparing your order instead of tending to their tables/stools, they should get something.

That I could agree with. However, that's not the case here. Waitstaff and counter staff are separate. No tippie.

Also, as I pointed out, it's family-owned and -run, so if they want more money, they can just charge more.

i tip. why not, who cares. worked in the industry and that tip can be the difference. the spare change from my coffee, along with the spare change of everyone else's might actually let that barista survive. and, i go to places that make good coffee, so i don't want those baristas to quit. a little spare change helps maintain my good coffee flow.

BioCritter:As a former barista, I gave better service to people who were 1) regular customers, and 2) tipped regularly. If those people stayed around until the end of the night working on their projects, they got a LOT of freebies - tea coolers, pastries, anything we were going to throw out anyway.

Ah, that's the difference. I have worked from coffee shops on numerous occasions. I always buy more than a cup of coffee and make sure that I tip very well. But the difference is that I'm planning on sitting at a table, not taking my purchase and walking out of the store.

Fark Irony Police: There's green chili?

It seems to be a New Mexico thing. It's the mild stuff but still has a bit of flavor.

BioCritter:As a former barista, I gave better service to people who were 1) regular customers, and 2) tipped regularly. If those people stayed around until the end of the night working on their projects, they got a LOT of freebies - tea coolers, pastries, anything we were going to throw out anyway.

in my imaginary world, service staff is paid a living wage by the person that employs them. not relying on the patrons of their business to personally pay the wages of their staff. that being said there is nothing wrong with giving someone a little something extra for service above beyond./my tip at work is to get to come back tomorrow.

Can we just end this tip stuff already please?When I'm ordering a burrito through Moe's (a chipolte-esque franchise here on the Northeast) from the phone app, it pesters you to add a tip (or scroll through options and select No Tip.). This isn't a full service restaurant...staff get minimum wage at the very least. And after spending almost 8 bucks on a burrito alone, I'm a bit hesitant about adding any more to my total.

/If I pay in cash somewhere and I get a couple cents back, sure, I'll throw it in a tip jar, but it is tacky for everyone to have a jar sitting out like they are bums on a street corner.

I don't really see point in tipping the Starbucks person handing me a basic hot chocolate and maybe a muffin/danish/whatever from the case. I can see it if I was building some complicated shot of this/dash of that/smidge of something concoction that takes an inordinate amount of time to make but otherwise no. I view it as no real difference between any other counter job where you pull out what customer asks for and gives it to them. Do something like deliver it to table I'm sitting at, coming by and asking if I want something else or otherwise being waitstaff then yes because that is extra service.

I tip table waitstaff 20 percent unless they really deserve less and I can't even remember the last time that happened.

Same here. If I get change, I might throw it in the tip jar, because carrying a few pennys, nickels, and dimes are more trouble than they're worth.. Now if you are doing a large order, like a lunch or coffee run for the office, I can see that. However, I don't see the point to tipping at the counter for just a couple of things.

Tip Baristas for doing their one and only job of fixing the order I just placed...especially when the drinks are marked up about 400% in the first place? No. Might as well start tipping employees at McDonald's (who might actually need it more than higher paid baristas).